Hemp-was her



(No'MudeL) I f T. J. FERGUSON.

HEMP WASHER.

No. 252,365. Patented Jan. 17,1882.

INVENTOR fi lffei guson AIME-3'31 UN TED STATES THOMAS FERGUSON, OFPIKESVILLE, MARYLAND.

PATENT Creme;

HEMP-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,365,, dated January17, 1882.

' Application filed November 23,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. FERGUSON, ofPikesville, Baltimore county, State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Hemp-Washers; and I hereby declare thesame to be fully, clearly, and exactly describedas follows, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a sideelevation of the device; Fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of the same, andFig. 3 a side elevation of a part of the same.

My invention has referenceto machines for washing hemp for the cleansingand separation of the fiber from the adherent matter of the plant andother impurities; and it consists in a device for accomplishing thatend, constructed and operating substantially as hereinafter described,the points of novelty being made the subject of the claims.

In the drawings, A is a suitable tank, in which are mounted rollers a01, having pulleys D upon their shafts on the outside of the tank. Ateither side of the latter is a frame, B, havin g rollers b, over whichpasses an endless apron, O. The apron is led between the roll ers a a,as shown in dotted lines, and passes under a roller, a, on its exit fromthe tank, the said roller being pressed down by means of a spring, a.

At either side of the frame is an upright, E, in which are mountedlevers G, having in their ends sprocket wheels, over which are ledchains 0. The latter pass over the pulleys of 'the rollers a a andoverrollers d, which are normally drawn upward by cords f, led over pulleysF, and having weights attached, as shown, the object being to hold thechain c tight and cause the upper row of rollers to press upon the lowerones.

The ends of the rock-shafts are connected by rods g with cranks on amain driving-shaft, which latter carries a pulley, H, for thedrivingbelt.

The levers G (see Fig. 3) are pivoted eccen-.

relative distances as desired, to determine the feed. l

J is a pawl, which engages with the ratchet I L, the lever K may engagedirectly with the ratchet e.

The operation is as follows: The hemp being fed to the apron is carriedalong between the series of rollers a a and out at the opposite side ofthe machine. In transit between the rollers it is thoroughly scrubbed bytheir peculiar motion and the vegetable matter is removed from thefiber.

It will be seen that as the arms of the lever G are unequal the arcsdescribed by its extremities are also unequal, whereby the chain c iscarried forward a greater distance by the sprocket-wheel attached to theratchet 0 than it is retracted by the wheel in the other end of theshaft or lever G. The motion of the rollers a is therefore areciprocating rotation greater in one direction than the other. resultis that the hemp is gradually fed through the tank, but is rubbe'd backand forth in the water in transit, being pressed between the rollers.

The device is susceptible of other uses than in washing hemp, beingeminently adapted for use, for instance, as a wool-washer, as its motionwill not felt the fiber.

What I claim is- 1. In a hemp-washer, a tank having a series ofwashingrollers and mechanism, substantially as described, for impartingto the same areciprocating rotary movement, the motion being greater inone direction than the other, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the tank having rollers a and mechanism forimparting to the same a reciprocating rotary movement, the endless apronC, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the tank having rollers and apron, the drivingchain or belt 0 The androcking shaft or lever G, provided with thedriving-chain c and lever G, laterally adratehets e e and their pawls,as set forth. justable with reference to the pivot, whereby 1o 4. Incombination with the tank having the feed may be regulated,- as setforth. rollers and apron, the driving-chain a rocking I 5 lever Gr,having unequal arms and. ratehets ee THOMAS FERGUSON and pawls, and thetension-rollers d, as set I Witnesses: forth. R. D. WILLIAMS, 5. Incombination with the tank and rollers, l J NO. T. MADDOX.

